Fighting For Our Students
A fully funded education finance system is essential for CT’s future
G
ood education is the foundation of a good life. Connecticut has one of the best public education systems in the country, but disparities still plague our schools because of the regressive property tax. CCM joined with the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, the School Finance Project, and the faith-based advocacy organization FaithActs for Education to call on the Governor and state legislators to enhance education equity.
Most importantly, this disparity is directly rooted in the way we fund public education in Connecticut.
We urged support for HB 5283, which would have accelerated the phasing in of additional Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding, while not negatively impacting those towns that will eventually see a reduction, as well as fully funding the state’s Special Education Excess Cost Grant (SB 232).
“ECS and special education have been woefully underfunded for years, undermining the quality of public education for students,” said Betsy Gara, Executive Director, COST. “The state must take steps to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide funding to ensure that all students have access to quality education.”
The ECS grant is the largest for public education, and it is the principal mechanism for state funding of local schools. Today it remains underfunded by tens of millions of dollars. Accelerating the grants would have injected crucial funds where they belong – educating our children. One of the most underappreciated aspects of education funding is special education costs – currently, more than one out of every five dollars spent on Pre-K – 12 education goes towards delivering special education. For towns and cities, the spike in delivery of special education represents one of the largest cost increases annually. These swings can be in the thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars per student, and yet the Excess Cost Grant that supports special education has been level-funded and capped for years. 8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | MAY 2022
“The state’s funding shortfall disproportionately impacts Black, Brown and low-income students, yet equity is an issue that impacts all Connecticut students,” said Jamilah Prince-Stewart, Executive Director of Faith Acts for Education, which has 80-member churches and 5,000 committed voters across Connecticut.
CCM, along with its partners, will continue to fight for full funding of ECS. It is in the best interest of our students, the future of our state, and therefore in the best interest of all of us. “A first-rate education system – and education finance system – is vital for Connecticut’s prosperity and quality of life,” further noted DeLong. “When Connecticut municipalities do not receive adequate state education aid, they are forced to raise property taxes, cut other vital services, or lay off employees. Local property taxes cannot continue to shoulder the lions’ share of local public education costs. For Connecticut to compete economically with its neighbors and the world, the State needs to increase its financial commitment to local public schools for FY 2022-23.”
